Iran has postponed the state funeral of its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, citing expectations of an unprecedented turnout as the country grapples with heightened tensions following recent military strikes.
State television announced on Wednesday that the farewell ceremony, originally scheduled for the evening in Tehran, had been cancelled just hours before it was due to begin.
“The farewell ceremony for the martyred Imam has been postponed. The new date will be announced later,” the broadcaster said in a brief statement.
Khamenei, 86, was reportedly killed over the weekend during joint US-Israeli strikes targeting key military and government installations in Tehran, marking a significant escalation in regional hostilities.
His death has sent shockwaves across Iran and beyond, with millions expected to participate in mourning rites.
Earlier in the day, officials had indicated that a tribute ceremony would take place in the capital before his body would be transported to Mashhad, the holy city of his birth, for burial. However, organisers later confirmed the postponement.
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Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran’s Islamic Development Coordination Council, said the delay was necessary due to “the expected participation of millions of people and the need to provide the proper infrastructure” to manage the crowds safely.
Although authorities did not directly link the postponement to ongoing security concerns, Tehran has remained under sustained missile strikes since Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Strategic military and government facilities have reportedly been targeted, leaving the capital on high alert.
For many Iranians, the delayed funeral adds to a moment already heavy with uncertainty — a time of national mourning unfolding against the backdrop of deepening regional conflict.
The government is expected to announce a new date once preparations are deemed adequate to accommodate what could be one of the largest public gatherings in the country’s recent history.